This is by way of an update to an earlier post about how much I like email. Well, I may not be alone, but I do appear to be in the minority. No surprise there. But now I hear the next big thing will be Google's Wave, a sort of "hosted conversation" on the internet which "promises to revolutionize online communication" by letting everyone talk, write, edit, etc. at the same time all the time, seeing each other's typing, typos and all one presumes. It will replace email, chat, texting, instant messaging.
Now I like Google. Hey, I'm using their blogger site, I use their Gmail, Google Maps, etc. But this is too much group think for me. I like my own quiet and separate existence. I'm online sufficiently as it is. Twitter and Facebook are way too frenetic for me. Am I alone in not desiring any more ways to achieve instant real-time communication? I can barely handle the telephone. The only person I call with any frequency on my cell phone is my wife, and I don't even answer our land line anymore. That's strictly for voice-mail: at the tone leave a message and I'll get back to you. Or not, unless I actually know who you are.
And as for everyone editing the same document at the same time. Is that really desirable? Again, I'm no doubt in the minority here, but it takes me quite a while to write something I'm reasonably satisfied with, and when I'm done I don't usually want to revisit it with a lot of helpful co-authors. This does sometimes present a problem in my work, but my colleagues mostly just quietly edit my contribution without consulting me. I'm fine with that. I don't mind changes or group composition, I just don't like going back over what I've already done. So how did I co-author/edit a textbook with four other guys? They were happy to let me do my own thing.
Of course, I realize that the humans are evolving into some more advanced social animals that I no longer understand, even after a lifetime of living among them. And I accept that. But I remain amazed by this strange desire for electronically mediated social intimacy. I'm told that the young ones who have grown up with this technology have actually begun to prefer texting to talking. Well, kids, the Wave is obviously for you. Let me know how you like it. Send me an email, or better yet, give me a call on my land line. Leave me a message.
1 comment:
No, you are not alone. While I do Tweet -- I do it on my terms at my pace and not often-- same with F/B and I gave up my myspace page even though I resurrected it a few days ago to make contact with an old friend -- Linux won't let me leave comments, however. I only answer the phone when I know who is at the other end -- I no longer feel obligated to answer each and every email. As far as kids go -- I think they prefer to text more than anything and it is going to be their downfall because they can't spell anymore. While technology is great, our younger generation isn't going to know how to "do" anything because with technology they don't have to. I fear what will happen to them if, for some reason, their technology goes away. I for one would love to have a day -- say, mid 1950's with a rotary phone, three channels on the tv and a newspaper instead of a computer. I bet you would hear blood pressure readings drop like rocks. I personally think technology is something we have to protect ourselves from -- like the flu.
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